- The past, present and future of dubstep and UK garage.
- Last year we I have written “Britain’s best garage comes out of Los Angeles,” we were talking about Introspect. The American DJ, who has since relocated to New York, understands the genre's appeal, swing, and unique bass-heavy bass. Hmm. Listen to her songs, including last year's “''.lonely”, you can hear the voice of the producer as if she had been making UKG all her life. This is probably also due to her dubstep background, but in any case, if you're looking for new UK garage beats, Introspect is the one. Her DJing has also reached a uniquely sweet spot, with dubstep archetypes and the dark UK garage era when producers like El-B were making their hottest work. is focused on. Her sound is both retro and forward-thinking. , as you can see from her story, R.A. A podcast that balances vintage Big Apple songs from Skream & Benga with new school songs from Amaliah and Surusinghe. It's not so much a throwback as it is a rejuvenation of an old sound, a new take on it, a new way to do it. If hindsight is his 20/20, then Introspect has the perfect vision, and mixes like this are the perfect way to educate and impress listeners, and innovate a little in the process.
What have you been up to lately?
I've been on tour in Europe since the beginning of this month. On my days off, I sleep, buy records, write new music, and yearn in a very lesbian way.
Where and how was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
This mix was recorded at my friend Olly Lunt's studio in London. I was going for something a little moody and at times quirky as opposed to the sexy, playful and intense cuts sprinkled throughout. I approached it as kind of my part two. dubstep is an emotion This is a mix for NTS, but includes a wide selection of new and old sounds. If you're familiar with my recent mixes, you may remember some of the routines I work on on set. When choosing the tracks, I thought about the basis of what I would describe as the “dark(er)” side of my sound.
You create and play a variety of styles, but are primarily known as a UK garage DJ. What is it like to be part of a scene that is primarily based on the other side of the world?
You're absolutely right that I play a lot of styles, but I think it's safe to say that UK Garage and its distinct Skippy Swing have been a particularly big influence on my work. This is especially true for my original works and remixes. In terms of being part of a scene, especially when I'm in the US, I often find myself moving between several scenes. That being said, it's also really touching to see certain artists from the UK Garage scene supporting me. I've found that people often underestimate the extent to which they associate me with the UK garage scene…as I've been touring more actively in the UK I've come to appreciate that more. became. But when I'm at home, I often feel like I'm in my own echo chamber doing my own thing as far as the garage is concerned. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about myself in relation to the queer dance music scene in the United States. But that's the beauty of where I am now. I feel like I can dance back and forth between different musical communities that have had a huge impact on me.
How did you become interested in UK Garage in the first place? What has been the story so far?
I first became interested in UK Garage about 10 years ago through my love of dubstep. I was pretty active in his LA dubstep scene and developed a taste for rare British records. As I dug further and further back into the label's discography, I found earlier records that were more dubstep in the sense of “dub 2-step.” The track was swingier and to my ears rhythmically interesting and even a little seductive in a way. So the first time I fell in love with her UK garage was during the turning point of her dark garage and dubstep archetypal sound in the millennium. The first record that introduced me to this sound was roots of dubstep Blackdown's carefully selected Ammunition/Tempa sampler. I still listen to that record. Listening to records like Benny Ill & Hatcha's “Poison” and his El-B remix of Brandy, I found myself empathizing with the moody production juxtaposed with feminine vocals and his samples. He then got into the more classic era of his 4×4 garage in the UK in the mid-to-late '90s, around the same time as New York's garage he dived deeper into his house and ballroom beats.
What club or party had a big influence on you as an artist?
There are many influences on me, but one that immediately comes to mind is the rebels thrown in by the guys at Envelope Soundsystem at an undisclosed location in Oakland, California. This was 2022 (I think it was), we were surrounded by gorgeous sequoia trees, and BEIGE was playing a nice trippy set in front of me, setting the tone really well. . I think it was one of the first raves in recent years where I started a set with dubstep. Mark Pritchard's 'Elephant Dub' was the first song and there was absolute pressure on that sound system. After I played, Eris Drew and Octo Octa spun her hardcore set of breakbeats at about 140 BPM. It completely rewired my brain and the way I think about the art of DJing. Finally, Bored Lord closed out the early morning hours with a set that could only be described as transsexual spiritual defiance.
What social or political cause would you like the world to pay more attention to?
This is a difficult question for me to answer because my political beliefs are not necessarily issue-based, so there are a lot of things that come to mind. That being said, I think one of the great tragedies that I think is defining the political movements happening in the world right now is the ongoing genocide that is happening in occupied Palestine. I push back against the right-wing and liberal frameworks that see this issue as some kind of two-sided “conflict” and call it genocide and a Western-backed move to consolidate imperial power in Southwest Asia. I think that is very important. . Of course, where there is oppression, there is always resistance…
What are you looking forward to in the near future?
I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my sister Bored Lord this week after the show in Glasgow on the 23rd. I'm also looking forward to going back to New York and having a fun date with my girlfriend.
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track list
- High Plains Wanderer – Somewhere [Goldspot Imternational]
Nude – Digitized [Shelflife]
Menta – Snake Charmer [Road]
Surshinhe – Hohohoho [TraTraTrax]
Mara – Eyes [DMZ]
Mia Koden – Racket [Ilian Tape]
Plex – Afro Breaks [Particle Music]
Benga v. Scream – Judgment [Big Apple]
Introspect – Afrobase [Forthcoming]
Introspect – Really? [Forthcoming]
J. Sparrow – The Chase VIP [Tectonic]
Main Phase – Reeferman [self-release]
Amalia – Mespo Dance [Black Artist Database]
INVT – Toboggan [INVT]
DJ Hatcha – Dub Express [Tempa]
Fixate – Ruminate (Cimm Remix)[unreleased]
Mantra – Damage [Sneaker Social Club]
INVT x Logan_olm – We Inside (Culebra VIP) Introspect – Pain [Forthcoming]
Axle – Incident VIP [unreleased]
Seoul Mass Transit System – Birds of a Feather [unreleased]
INVT-??? [unreleased]
L-Vis 1990 – Video Drone (OSSX Remix) [Nightslugs]
Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal – BOTA (Introspect Remix) [unreleased]
INVT – Dashit [Omni Disc]
Loefah – Mad VIP feat. Sergeant Pork [Planet Mu]
Benga – Walkin' Bass [Big Apple]
Hyper Hyper feat Julius – Congo Fever [Shelflife]
Mara – Blue Note [DMZ]
Koki – The End [DMZ]
Menta – The Soul [self-released 12-inch]
INVT x Introspect – ME PRENDI upcoming ec2a]Plasticman – The Rush (2nd II None Refix) [A.R.M.Y]
French fries – champagne [ClekClekBoom]
Bakongo – Grind [Quadrants]
Diamond K – Put Your Leg Up (Acapella)[not on label]
MMM – Dex [MMM]
Benny Ill & DJ Hatcha – Crazy Intro [Tempa]
Dub War – Murderous Sounds [Tempa]
INVT x Introspect – Seismic Activity [Forthcoming ec2a]
